Play the Cards

by Sgt. Vincennes

Barbara Wilson looked out at yet another freshman Algebra 1 class crowding in and trying to sit in the back rows to not be noticed. 14 years of teaching the basics at the University of South Carolina and it was always the same. The late summer, August heat was unbearable outside which almost made students want to come to class, Almost. Since this was the first day of class, Barbara knew she would get her highest attendance of the semester today.

Barbara Wilson was 38 and she was tired. She was married and had 2 children. Her husband, Mark was a dentist and her children, 16-year old Ben and 12-year old Amy were both good kids when you got right down to it. They picked on each other, but they did fine in school and had never been in real trouble. She knew that Mark loved her and he was a decent guy, but Barbara was not happy. She couldn't put her finger on it for a long time. She was restless; she wanted to run. She looked out at her students and envied them. They had their whole lives ahead of them. Hell, most of them hadn't even declared a major when they went through her class. " If only I could be one of them again, " she thought.

Even with the industrial air conditioners going, it was still hot and sticky in the building. The class was about full and a glance at the clock told that it was 4 and time to start. Barb stood up and smoothed out her white sundress as well as she could. At 38, she knew she could look better than she did, but she had never been that concerned with her looks or health. She stood 5'6" and she had never lost all the weight from her long ago pregnancies. At her last trip to the doctor she had been told that she weighed 165 lbs, a bit overweight for her height and she knew it. She also hated the fact that most of those extra pounds had settled in her stomach, waist, hips, thighs and butt. The doctor had warned her that her blood pressure was starting to get high and her cholesteral was now at 226, she had to start excersicing and watching what she ate. Barb had blown him off.

She had short brown hair with a few flecks of gray just beginning to blend in all over, but especially at her temples. She had blue eyes that had lost their spark awhile ago, with crows feet creeping in. Her forehead was beginning to show lines as were the corners of her mouth, but she had always had a pretty smile that could still light up her eyes.

Her white sundress showed off her freckled shoulders and her 36B breasts that were starting to sag a bit. She tried to skip over her problem area as she smoothed out the dress, but her hands lingered on her slight tummy bulge and she breifly wiggled her hips to get the dress to cooperate. Her legs were not bad, but were neglected in their care. As were her feet which today were encased in a pair of white sandals.

" Good Afternoone class. This is Algebra 1 in Simmon Hall, room 106. If that is not on your schedule, then you're in the wrong place" When no one got up to leave, Barbara began to read to role. She wasn't really paying attention as she called out names and listened to the half-hearted responses she received until she came to " Roberts, Stacey" " Here"

For whatever reason, Barbara looked up when she heard the silky, slightly raspy word. Never being attracted to women didn't stop the thought that crossed Barbara's mind, " That is a very beautiful girl"

Stacey Roberts was in her first day of college and just getting there had not been easy. Growing up, her father had abused her before leaving one day when she was 8 and never comng back. He had been a drinker and while he had never sexually abused her, he had hit her and her mother repeatedly. That didn't do much for her mother either. She too had fallen heavily into the bottle and had not crawled out during Stacey's entire life. Despite this lovely family, she had turned out very normal and well balanced. She was at USC all on loans and a few meager scholarships that barely paid for the insanely overpriced books.

No one failed to notice that she was naturally attractive either. She was rather petite at just 5'3" and just over 110 lbs. And with her upbringing she never liked being noticed and usually tried to curl up and disappear. On that day, she was wearing the standaard uniform of an 18-year old college freshman. She wore brown sandals on her petite feet, that showed the fact that her toenails were painted a light silver color. Her legs were bare and smooth and seemed to glisten in the slight heat. From her dainty ankles, where a slight silver bracelet marked her left one, up following the curvacious lines of her calves, knees and toned, trim thighs to where they ended in her tight tan shorts.

Even sitting, one could tell that she had fairly narrow hips, a slight thin waistline and a toned rear. She wore a sky blue tank top with spaghetti straps over her slight shoulders that cris-crossed several times over a flawless back. Her 36C breasts stood out promenently from her trim frame, full and pert over her flat stomach. Her skin was perfectly smooth and her shirt highlighted her slight build by showing and acentuating the slight dimple at the base of her neck between the outlines of her collorbones.

She absent-mindedly twirled her fingers around a found rubber band. A quick glance proved that her small fingers were also painted in the light silver tone and her wrists were just as dainty as her ankles.

Stacey's long chestnut brown hair lightly touched her shoulders and cascaded down her back. Her hair was thick with a natural auburn tint to it and had a slight curl that came out in humidity. Her cheekbones were prominent with a thin nose and a shy smile. Her lips were a neutral tone and her chin slightly pointed. But it was her eyes that drew so many in.

They were dark brown in tone and extremely expressive. They seemed to have an inherant sadness to them and a born compassion that could be seen constantly, yet when she smiled, they danced and lit with passion. The fact that her voice had a raspy, smoky quality only enhanced her beauty. Stacey was a shy girl by nature and avoided the advances that were sent her way and she certainly didn't think anything was going to happen today anyway.

Barbara was intrigued by this small young woman sitting in the front row, but she wasn't sure why. Besides the fact that she was undeniably gorgeous and had her whole life open ahead of her, she felt a pull towards her, like the fact she was sitting there was meant to be.

After giving out the syllabus and giving her standard first day speech on what to expect this semester, she handed out the little test to see where everyone was at to begin with. She liked to know what level she was dealing with and where she would have to start.

As the students took the quiz, Barbara was staring at Stacey. Even when she wasn't examing the girl, she was thinking about her, making parallels between her own life and what she was percieving as the perfect life in front of her.

Thoughts were running through Barbara's mind " Oh I wish I could be you" And Stacey looked up,

Barb's eyes shot down as fast as they could and she began blushing fiercely. After a moment, she looked back up and Stacey was still looking at her, her head cocked to the right. The class mercifully ended and all the students sprang out of their chairs, working their way to the front and dropping off the tests. Everyone left except Stacey who still sat at her desk. " Did you say something to me during class Mrs. Wilson?" Stacey inquired " No. No, I din't say anything" Barbara was blushing deep crimson again. " But I heard you."

" I didn't say anything." She added quite defensively.

" It was so weird, was it ‘I wish I could be you' was that what you said, what I heard"

" I told you I didn't, "

" I heard your thoughts!" Stacey said getting scared.

Barbara was silent, so embarrassed she couldn't speak.

The awkward silence carried on for the longest 20 seconds anyone could fathom. Then without warning or provaction, things got even stranger.

Barbara Wilson's toenails flashed silver as did her her fingernails. She blinked hard and stared at her feet. They were getting smaller and changing shape. Her whole legs were changing, her whole body was changing.

Stacey Roberts' attention was brought suddenly to herself as her shorts were now pinching her. She looked in wonder as her hips and butt expanded against the fabric; stretching it and pulling her shorts taught against her legs. She was too scared to scream.

By the time she finally exhaled her baited breath in a quick expulsion, her stomach had popped outward and she could feel extra weight all over her frame. She gasped and with the intake of air came the intake of her breasts, they shrank a full cup size instantly.

Barbara held her new smooth, slim hands out in front of her face then dropped them to her sides. They fell flat against her waist and her eyes turned downwars to reveal her new slim waist, hips and stomach. She craned her neck to see her butt; it was gone, at least to her it was gone, now small and firm.

Barbara looked up to see her own face appearing before her eyes. She looked up at her student and saw a horrified reaction forming on a face that looked remarkabley like her own. As she watched Stacey's hair pull upward into her scalp, she felt soft hair glance off her shoulders and tickle her back. She could feel the changes to her face but of course could not see them, but if Stacey looked like that, then she must,

Stacey was freaking out. She looked her body over and saw nothing that she recognized. Her body was older and had not been taken care of by its owner. She could feel aches and pains creeeping in and she felt tired, like she couldn't get enough oxygen, she was out of shape. Her legs hurt and felt lumpy. Her hands reached back and worked quickly over her expanded ass. Her hands went to her stomach and she pinched the extra flesh up. She moaned slightly and could tell the voice was not her own. She looked across the room and saw herself standing there in an ill-fitting sundress, looking excitedly up and down and twisting and turning trying to get a good look.

Stacey could make out her smile growing on her lips on her face but now with a different owner. " Hey" she stopped at the new sound of her voice," What the Hell Happened?" " I, I don't know" came the surprised reply.

" Don't cough, that's how my voice sounds" Stacey said then thought, no that's how your voice sounds.

" I really don't know"

" You were thinking how much you wanted to be me. How did you do it? Are you some kind of witch?" "NO! I swear I have no idea. I was thinking that, but I, but I couldn't just make it happen" " Then how did it happen!"

" I don't know! But it did!"

" Well, what are we going to do about it?"

After a moment of silence Barbara said in her new raspy voice " We should change clothes" Stacey looked up annoyed and surprised but agreed that it was a start. She had to struggle to get the clothes off.

Barbara did a quick shimmy move and the dress was off. She removed her large panties and small bra and stepped easily out of the sandals, now 2 sizes too big.

Stacey managed to get her tank top off, she wasn't wearing a bra, then her shorts and panties. Her feet were too big for the shoes but luckily since they were sandals her now caloused toes hung off the end. She put on her new clothes and was at least thankful that she had something that fit her. Stacey caught Barbara modeling as she put in her new clothes. Stacey did not take off her silver ankle bracelet, she simply could not part with it and Barbara failed to notice that it hadn't been passed to her.

Barbara Wilson, age 38, married and a mother of two then did the one thing she never thought she would have the guts to do. She ran.

She had picked up Stacey's purse and the thought flashed through her mind " Go, this is your chance! Run!" And she did. She took off out of the room and down the hall, not to stop until she crossed the campus.

When Stacey saw her own body take off like a Bat out of Hell she was too shocked to move. She was stunned just long enough that by the time she reached the classroom door, Barbara was long gone. She went to the windows in the hallway but could not see her anywhere.

So there she stood, too shocked to cry, too angry to scream and too tired to run. Exasperated she searched the desk drawers and found "her" purse. In it was her wallet giving her full name and address. She also saw pictures of her new body in portraits with a man and two children. Stacey just closed her eyes and cried.

She had to do something, even it didn't help anything. At the top of the syllabus handed out in class was Barbara Wilson's office location. It was 2 floors up in Simmon Hall. Stacey slowly made her way up the stairs. She was greatly disappointed in the fact that 2 flights of stairs had her slightly winded and her feet aching.

She entered the office and began surveying the contents. She picked up the phone and called her own dorm extension. No one answered. She saw more pictures and luckily one was labeled with names and ages written on the back. She studied her drivers license and found a picture of the family that had a nice home behind it, must be where she lives, I, Live? Stacey thought.

Stacey headed across campus to her dorm. No one was there and her old Toyota was missing from the parking lot. Anger and frustration took over her then and she cried and sobbed for 15 minutes in a bathroom in the building nearest to her.

She composed herself long enough to go back to office. Her answering machine was blinking. "Hey Honey, uhhhh, I might be wrong but I thought you said your last class ended at 10 till 5 this semester. Like I said I might be wrong, but I was just worried and I uh, wanted to see if you were okay. I know first days are crazy. I made dinner for the kids and I'm going to take Amy to soccer. Hope to see you soon. Bye."

" Crazy" Stacey wondered out loud. " You have no idea Dude" The she realized that Dude would think that she was his wife and the situation just weighed on her. " What am I going to do?" she wondered with fear. " I can't go to my dorm, not looking like this. They'll never let me in the door." I can't go to the police, they'd never believe me. I swapped bodies with my teacher Officer, can you find her and maybe get a VooDoo priest here to fix us" her mind was reeling as darkness began to descend.

Stacey Roberts was a strong willed girl of 18. She had been through a lot and had in essence raised herself. " Play the cards that are dealt to you, even if it's the Joker" she said out loud. "Huh, Hello"

" Honey! Are you allright!"

" Yea, yes, I'm okay"

" You had me worried! What's wrong, is something wrong"

" Uh, no. Nothing's wrong, just, just a strange day"

" You don't sound good. Are you sure you're okay?"

" Yeah, I, I just need to relax and think"

" Mmmmm, you don't sound okay. Just come home Honey. Dinner's still warm" " Yeah, I'm going to be home soon, Honey"

" Be careful driving, you know that construction zone got worse. They closed another lane at Brown" " Yeah, I'll be careful, Bye" After hanging up the phone Stacey thought " Now where the hell do I live?"

After looking at her driver's license. She saw her address as 345 Jackson St. She didn't know where that was. She did find a map in an old phone book and saw that Jackson street was only about 2 miles away. She tore out the page and made her way to the faculty lot. It was sparsely populated since it was now early evening, She had found a registration in the wallet for a 1998 Nisson Maxima. She had to try and memorize the plate number since there would be a crowd eventually if she didn't figure out a way to reverse this.

She drove home very nervous. A husband and kids on top of losing your body, well that was full day in her mind.

Approaching the house was like a scene in a horror movie; she didn't know what was going to pop out. The address was the right one and when she opened the door a tall man smiled and gave her a big hug. " I was worried, the kids were worried"

" Huh, Hi Mark. Hi Amy. Hi Ben." She said to the kids who didn't even look up. " So what was so crazy? What made you so late"

" Uh, one of my students. She was very confused, and upset. First day away from home, you know" " I guess so, well I had that impaction first thing this morning then a root canal after it, " It all went on and on. Amy asked for help with her homework and Ben barely mumbled to her. Stacey had to eat for appearance and then because she was starving. It was a chicken caserole dish that was quite tasty.

Stacey moved around in this strange house with a starnge body and her own mind. It was reeling to try and comprehend it all. It was impossible. After eating the evening settled into what looked to be the routine; Amy on the phone, Ben on the computer in the corner on the Internet and Mark on the couch watching TV. Stacey went upstairs and found a bathroom. It was hers and Marks alone off of "their" bedroom. She strared at herself in the mirror and just shook her head. " How did this happen? Why did this happen? The questions went on and she would start crying again every few minutes. She ran both her eyes and her hands over her body inspecting every inch. " What am I going to do?"

She wiped off the little makeup and found what had to be her nightgown. She lay down but did not sleep a wink.

Luckily for Stacey, after 19 years of marriage, Mark had no pretenses for love that night and fell quickly asleep beside her.

After stumbling and fumbling around for a week enduring looks of anger, wonder and embarrassment, Stacey finally got a handle of the flow of things in the Wilson household and what Barbara Wilson's role was in daily routine. Mark repeatedly asked if something was wrong and with good reason. Stacey was doing a bad job of being Barbara Wilson, but she still went to work everyday. The day after the switch she went immediately to her dorm. She waited for her roomate and when she talked to her, she got the worst news possible. At 3 AM " Stacey" had shown up and packed up all her things and left.

She went to the administration building where she talked to a harried advisor who said that Stacey Roberts was waiting at the door at 7 AM. She had tried to explain that it was only one day, give college a try longer than that. But " Stacey" was adiment. She was leaving and she could only get a full refund within 5 days. They had cut her a check and she left. Stacey started to cry. Her body was gone. She wasn't totally hopeless, but it didn't help her depression at all.

She fumbled her way through her classes badly for the first few weeks. Being a college teacher when she had never attended college, but for those 3 hours, was not easy on top of suddenly being 20 years older, married and a mother. Overwhelmed could be the only adjective for Stacey Roberts, now Barbara Wilson.

She scoured the library and Internet for a month straight. There were no " Cures" for a bodyswap outside of some fiction story pages on the web. There were no answers. Stacey looked to herself one day in early October. She was tired of the library and it's lack of answers. There were only so many books and days to look for ways to get her old body back. Stacey realized that it was gone. Her life was gone. In its' place was the life of Barbara Wilson and she had to face that fact.

She was 38 and out of shape. She could tell her husband was a decent man and her kids were good hearted and she had to admit they were growing on her. Even though Ben was only 2 years younger than she really was. " That settles it. I have to live life. I can't sit her pining away. What's done is done and now I have to go and make the best of it" That day "Barbara Wilson" took advantage of the fact that faculty could use all the gyms and workout equipment for free.

She was quite discouraged by the fact that she couldn't run without wheezing, swim without tiring or bike without aching. It was going to take awhile.

Slowly but surely though, Barb was getting into shape. By December she could run 2 miles and swim several laps without getting too tired. She also did sit-ups and crunchs like a madwoman. She would fix her ass.

Mark Wilson noticed the changes in his wife, she seemed like a new woman. He was quite surprised the Friday night he came home in early November. He knew the kids both had plans and wouldn't be home, but to be greated by his wife in black lingerie and a candlelight dinner, that was a shock. Stacey had really gotten to like Mark as Barbara and thought it would be fun. The look on his face when he came in was encouraging and after dinner when she had gotten close to him, she ran her fingers through his hair and started kissing him only to be passionatley kissed back; this was very exciting to Stacey.

Passion exploded from both of them, they quickly worked their clothes off and began making love on the floor of the kitchen. Both were ready and expectant of pleasure and they were very excited. Stacey had never felt so loved as when she was in Mark's embrace and she was never so alive as when they exploded in pleasure simultaniously.

Mark had smiled broadly for the next week and when the next Friday came around, they encouraged the kids to go out. Mark and "Barbara" fell deeply in love with each other.

It had been nearly a full year since Stacey Roberts had become Barbara Wilson when she had her yearly physical in early August. Her doctor was amazed at the woman on the examing table, Barbara Wilson must have listened to his advice, she looked great.

Barbara Wilson was now 39, she of course stood 5'6" but she now weighed 131 lbs. She had lost 34 pounds in one year. She looked much younger than her 39 years due to a strict diet and exercise regime and daily doses of mosturizers. She had let her hair grow out and with a little help from chemistry, she now had shoulder length chestnut brown hair free of gray. The lines on her face had almost totally disappeared with her nightly moisturizers and better diet. Her blue eyes shone and she wore contacts to enhance them, since she needed glasses anyway. She smiled quickly and easily and her face gleemed in the light, alive and happy.

Her body was in the best shape it had been since she was 20 her doctor told her. Her blood pressure was a perfect 120/80, her cholesteral was 178, her resting pulse rate was 68. Her body showed the work she had put in at the gym.

The weight she had lost was in her stomach, waist, hips and butt. While not perfect they had all improved greatly. Her rear was much smaller, her wasit and hips could actually be told apart, and her stomach was down to a small pouch. Her thighs had lost weight too and she wore dresses without fear. Her hands and feet were smoother and felt much better than when she had inhabited this body for the first time. More moisturizer as well as manicures and pedicures and massages had all helped that.

" Well Barb, I have to say that I am very impressed with how you look" Dr. D'Amico said. " Thank You Doctor. I took your advice and watched my diet and started working out. I decided to take care of my body"

" Well, It a good thing that you are in such good shape, because I have some news that may come as a shock to you"

" Really? What?"

" Well Barb, you're pregnant" " WHAT?!"

" Yes, I checked the test twice myself, you're going to have a baby" " Oh, my, "

" Now, certainly it's a shock, but there's nothing to worry about" " But, "

" But what? Many women in their late 30's and early 40's have babies!" " Yes, but"

" You've done this before, twice before in fact. I take it this wasn't exactly planned?" " No. It wasn't planned"

" I don't want to talk out of turn her Barb, but there are alt, "

" NO! Don't say that. I want it, I want a baby, it's just that, "

" I understand it's a shock, but you and Mark love each other. It will be a big gap between this baby and your other children, but in my family, my oldest brother is 17 years older than me" Stacey, now Barb forever just smiled. Her mind reeled as Dr. D'Amico handed her paperwork and pamphlets and lists of suggested foods and some prescriptions for vitamins. Of course Mark had cried when he was told, he was so happy and hugged her endlessly. Amy was excited while Ben was a bit weirded out that his parents were still having sex. Barbara had continued working out during her pregnancy and Mark was more amorous and affectionate than before, which she loved.

The following April, Barbara Wilson gave birth to a healthy baby girl that she named Daniella.

It was the middle of August when Barbara Wilson saw her old body before her in the shopping mall. She was sitting on a bench at the mall feeding Daniella a bottle and rocking her stroller when the real Barbara Wilson walked by as Stacey Roberts. The hair was now a shade of light blonde, but everything else was the same. They both stood in wonder at each other, both afraid to speak. " Uh, " was all that came from the younger and smaller woman.

" There's nothing you need to say to me. You made your choice and you ran away" No reply was coming.

" As you can tell I refused to let your body stop me. I knew you'd be living it up as Stacey so I decided to fix up Barbara"

The young woman was in awe of what her old body looked like " You, you had a baby, in my body" " Well it wasn't your body anymore. You ran away from it didn't you, as well as running away from your husband and two children who all loved you very much. " " But a baby?"

" Why not? I turned your body that you had screwed up into my version of your...er, my body. I worked out, I ate right, I took care of myself and I took care of your, my, family. Something you never did"

The young woman was looking at her old body admiring the changes. Even with a pregnancy, she was still lighter and more attractive. She marveled at the long hair and the way her skin seemed so healthy, how healthy she seemed all around.

" Um, so, um, what happens now?" Stacey inquired in her smoky voice.

" Nothing happens now. You keep on walking and I keep on taking care of my child. There's no way for us to change back. Whatever happened 2 years ago has no place in reality. It happened and I dealt with it. You obviously enjoyed it, but I thnk that even if I could change back, I wouldn't want to. I would never leave Daniella, I would never leave Mark. So just go."

Stacey's mouth went up and down twice, then her expressive eyes went dark and her had cocked to the right. She looked at what she had given up. She had a great body now, but the body before her wasn't bad and standing in front of her was possibly the happiest woman she had ever seen.

Stacey took a step backward and then walked silently away and did not look back because she was crying gently as she went.

Barbara watched her go, watched her old body walk away from her for the last time. She smiled slightly then smiled even wider when she looked down at the tiny face before her, sleeping contentedly in her arms.